Pakistan to host international furniture exhibition in July

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

**ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APD) ** -- Pakistan on Sunday announced to host an international furniture exhibition with the participation of foreign and local companies in July this year, a statement said.

The Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC), the organizer, claimed that it has received tremendous response from foreign and local companies to display their furniture products in the three-day “8th Pakistan Interiors Exhibition 2017” commencing on July 7 at Expo Centre in the country’s southern port city of Karachi.

“Pakistan furniture industry continues to expand its global footprint by welcoming participants from different countries, including China, Italy, Singapore, U.S., Australia, Japan, Philippines, Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam and others”, PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq said.

Ashfaq said the exhibition would offer a full range of furniture with extensive selections of modern and contemporary styles for dining, bedroom, living room, office, occasional, children, outdoor as well as furniture fittings and hardware.

The exhibitors would have an opportunity to meet new buyers, while exhibition would also provide younger designers and architects with a chance to witness the market trends and display their own works alongside that of more established professionals, said the official.

“We are striving for a higher degree of excellence and also working to develop a Pakistani presence in more countries and to act as the focal point for Pakistani furniture designers and manufacturers to enter the international market”, said Ashfaq.

Pakistan still lags behind many countries in making good, attractive and modern furniture, however its hand-made furniture of rosewood is quite famous.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir, recently, said “Pakistan needs to bring improvements to its furniture industry to increase the total revenue generated from this sector.”

The wooden furniture exports of Pakistan reportedly amount to over 70 million US dollars per annum. However, according to the All Pakistan Furniture Exporters Association, the country’s local furniture market is much stronger with an annual sale of over three billion US dollars, which offers a big room for foreign companies to enter.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)